Close All the Windows to Keep ASF Out
When a storm is brewing on the horizon, you don’t wait until it strikes to close all the open windows. You figure out which windows are open and start closing them one by one until the house is secure.
So when the news hit on July 28 that African swine fever (ASF) had been confirmed in the Dominican Republic, it’s no surprise the U.S. pork industry began closing more windows to keep this deadly virus of pigs out of the U.S.
Although ASF is not a new virus, this is the first time ASF has been in the Western Hemisphere in more than 40 years.
“This is a big deal. I'm not going to minimize that having it closer to the United States is not something to be concerned about,” says Liz Wagstrom, DVM, chief veterinarian for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).
But she points out that everyone from government agency leaders to pig farmers is upping their game to keep this disease out of the U.S. swine herd.
“The Dominican Republic has had classical swine fever (CSF) for some time, and it hasn't spread to Puerto Rico or the other islands. That's somewhat reassuring. But it's not something we can just rest on and say, ‘That didn't spread so we're not worried about ASF,’” Wagstrom says. “Of course we're worried about ASF. But we have had some success over the past 50 to 60 years keeping CSF from spreading.”
An Eye on the Storm
Experts say knowledge and observation are key to preparing for a storm. The same holds true when it comes to ASF.
“We're not starting from zero,” says Patrick Webb, DVM, acting chief veterinarian for the National Pork Board. “This is not a COVID-19 situation.”
Webb’s been paying close attention to foreign animal diseases (FADs) for the past 20 years. He knows that the country is always at risk for potentially devastating diseases and says knowing there is only so much we can do to be prepared for a disease to strike gives him a little peace when pressures mount.
“Anytime that there's something in the news that people haven’t been paying attention to, you get this sense of urgency, of unrest,” he says. “The important thing is ASF is a known commodity. It's been moving around slowly, and it's been on the radar. With ASF even closer to the U.S., we have to continue to ramp up our prevention and preparedness.”
Of course, what would make everyone feel better is not to have the virus is in this hemisphere, Webb says. But the virus is present in many countries and it’s a risk we must face as the U.S. pork industry every day.
“Only two viruses have ever been totally eradicated in history,” he says. “One is smallpox, and the other is rinderpest. Chances are, ASF eradication is not possible. Prevention and risk reduction become the priority.”
ASF was discovered in Kenya in 1921 and stayed within Africa for a while, Webb says. In the late ’50s and early ’60s, the virus made its way into Portugal and Spain where it was finally eradicated in the mid-’90s. During that time, ASF was discovered in the Western Hemisphere in Cuba, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. By the early ’80s, it had been eradicated from the Western Hemisphere. The virus was next observed in Georgia in 2007, from where it spread quickly to other neighboring countries, reaching Poland in 2014 before it moved into Asia.
“While I don’t like that it’s been confirmed in the DR, it’s not surprising that it’s made a slow burn over here,” Webb says.
Read More from this Farm Journal's PORK's three-part series on ASF:
ASF in the Western Hemisphere: What’s Different 40 Years Later?
It's Time to Batten Down the Hatches, Pork Industry Experts Say
Learn more about what the industry is doing to prevent ASF from entering the country.
